Dancing in my Dreams
by SilverAkita
Summary: THIS FIC IS FOREVER DROPPED! When a man shows up and tells Ed that they had met before, Ed tries to figure out if the man and his dreams are connected. But things aren't always as they seem... Rated T for violence, language, and character death.
1. Chapter 1: Attack

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the man who pops up in this story. And maybe a few other characters later... (hint hint)**

**Author's Notey: This is my first ever fanfic, so please be a little gentle if you are going to criticize. ;)**

* * *

_A clash of thunder and rain filled the night sky. A family of four was sleeping. Well, _were _sleeping anyway. Little Alphonse couldn't keep from crying, and Edward, being in the same room, tossed and turned and tried to drown out the noise. _

_After what seemed like forever, both Al and the storm quieted down; But something still moved. It was faint, but Ed could still barley hear it. They sounded like footsteps. They grew louder and louder until it reached Ed's and Al's bedroom door. Whoever was at the door slowly turned the doorknob, and their tall, dark figure stepped inside. Edward threw his covers over his eyes to 'make' the figure go away, like it was a dream. But it wasn't, and all Ed could do from crying out was to keep listening to the footsteps come closer and closer._

_He heard them pass Al's bed and reached his. From a hole in Ed's covers, he could see that the figure was a person. It looked like his dad. "Da-" A rough, but gentle hand covered Ed's mouth, then he heard a whispering voice; his father's. "Shh… Don't say anything until we get outside. If you can hear me, nod." Ed nodded, following his father's out-of-character commands. "Now," Said his father, still whispering, "Get some clothes on, but don't wake up Al. Got it?"_

_Ed nodded._

"_Good. Now hurry up. We need to get out of here before the sun rises."_

_Outside, the ground was muddy and the air was moist. Immediately, Edward regretted putting on his new shoes. When he'd get back home, he would sure get a scolding from his mom. But, he was too tired at the moment to care._

_After walking past Winry's house and a few others, Edward finally had the courage to talk. "Daddy… Where are we going?" Edward asked, looking at his tall father. "Somewhere… Far away from home." He grinned. The four-year old became scared. "But what about Mommy? And Al?" Edward sobbed, "They'll miss us." His father looked down at his crying son, "I'm sure they won't. I left a note for your mother. It says: 'Me and Edward are going for a walk. Be back soon.'" Then he turned quickly away._

_That last part made Edward curious. Was his father lying to him? He didn't ask, since I might've been rude. Instead, he walked silently by his father's side, until he nearly fell asleep in mid-walk…_

Edward woke with a start. He was sweating and very tense. He'd been having the same dream over and over again… But what did it mean? And why was he so afraid? He glanced out the window; the sun was high in the sky.

"At least it's over…"

* * *

"Hey! Hey! Edward! Are you still with me?"

Edward looked up. "What? Oh, yeah. Sure."

Roy sighed. "Something the matter, Fullmetal? You've been daydreaming a lot these past few days." Ed looked straight into Roy's eyes. _Damn. I did it again? _"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" The flame colonel raised an eyebrow.

A long period of silence followed. _He won't believe me if I tell. Then again, it's just a dream. Dreams aren't real right? Just random images your mind creates. _Ed played with his fingers; trying to decide on what he should do. Suddenly a clock rang 3, making Ed jump. "Uh… Al's expecting me. Can I leave now? I need to meet him at the train station." Ed started to get up, when an unexpected hand touched his shoulder. The blond looked up, startled. "What?"

"Are you _sure _it's just nothing? You look like you haven't been getting enough sleep."

Ed turned away from his superior's eyes. He couldn't bear to look in his eyes while lying. "… Yeah."

Roy took back his hand. "Ed, I want you to know that you can trust me. If something is happening to you, you can tell me. I want to help you." He turned and walked back toward his desk; by the time he got there, Ed was out the door.

* * *

"Hey Brother!" Ed sighed. At least Al seems happy after his time in Resenbool. Even after regaining their bodies back, Ed stayed a State Alchemist, so he couldn't have a carefree life as Al has had so far. Al insisted that Ed should resign, but something kept him from doing so. _I guess it's because I've grown so attached to them._

"Is something wrong Brother?" Al gray eyes filled up with concern.

Ed managed a joyful smile. "Naa, Mustang just had a few extra short jokes today."

Al laughed. "Okay. If that's it."

Ed chuckled to. "Tomorrow I'll fill his room full of sawdust! We'll see how he likes that!"

Al rolled his eyes. "You're _so_ mature Ed."

Ed shot Al an angry glace. "Al! _He _started it!"

"Whatever you say. But I think you both will continue your fights until one of you actually kills the other."

That made both of the Elric's burst into laughter. The two brothers enjoyed the moment. Ed watched as Al's hair flowed in the wind-Something Ed hadn't seen since the day they tried to bring their mom back to life. No matter how down Ed can get, Al's always there to cheer him up. _Always there._

* * *

That night, after having a quick dinner with Al, Ed didn't go straight to bed. Instead, he went to the library to check out a book about dreams and nightmares.

"Lets see…" He whispered, gazing at the words. "Dreams can be linked to past experiences or current stress…" Ed went over the possibilities. He didn't feel stressed out. The missions he had been getting were minor ones: Investigate a document sent by the Eastern Country; Inspect a town here and a town there. Easy. But what about past experiences? Ed scratched his head.

"Either I have amnesia or my mind is going crazy."

He turned the page. '_Some people believe dreams are sometimes visions of the future.'_

Well, he knew that wasn't it. In his dream, he had been very young. The blond alchemist sighed and closed the book.

"So much for that idea-" He paused in mid-sentence. He heard a noise that sounded someone was drawing with chalk. Was someone using alchemy? Before Edward could investigate, the wall behind him exploded and sent him and rubble flying through the air. Ed didn't have time to react and was buried under mounds of concrete, books, and iron. The weight on his lungs and neck made it almost impossible to breathe. _If only I just get my hands together… _He twisted them, but his left arm was numb with pain. _Move…_

At the same time, Ed gradually felt parts of the wreckage being pulled off him. He gulped in air and shook his head.

"Ow..." Ed moaned. He still couldn't move his legs, and he saw his left arm completely covered in blood. The pain was so excruciating that he dared not move it. Edward was sure that he had bone damage as well. He gasped when someone put their hand on his forehead.

"My, my. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time it seems." It was a male's voice, but Ed couldn't see who they were.

"Who… Are you?" Ed winced at the pain it took to speak.

"That is not important right now." Ed sensed the man backing up, and then proceeding to pull of the debris from Ed's legs.

"Stop." The teen didn't want this stranger anywhere near him.

"But I need to get this off of you and take you to the hospital. Don't you want to live?"

"I hate you." Ed gritted his teeth. He was sure this man had hurt him on propose with that explosion.

The man laughed at Ed's latest remark. "Close to death and yet still willing to give threats? You should know that you are in no position to do that." The man punished Ed by kicking him in the ribs. The teen screamed in agony. Edward could feel tears in his eyes. He couldn't stop them from running down his face as the man continued to kick and laugh at Ed's pitiful state.

"Stop it… Please." Ed could feel his whole body go numb.

"Oh? Now we are being polite? I knew you were always stubborn, but does it take you this long to be respectful?" The man laughed when Ed gave him a surprised face, "Aww, I guess you don't remember me. Oh well." The man smiled as he hauled the last of the concrete off of Ed's body, and picked him up. Ed struggled, but he was too weak to stop the man from carrying him to a car parked outside the library.

"Let… Go…" Ed bit the man in the arm and drew blood, but the guy didn't even flinch.

"Is that all you got? Really Ed, you can't hurt me. Just be quiet. I'm taking you to the hospital, remember?"

"I don't… Trust you." Ed winched when the man pulled at his long, blond hair. And instead of replying, he shoved Ed into the backseat and strapped Ed to it by the seatbelt. He closed the door quickly and walked over the driver's seat. The man made sure that Ed wasn't going to attack him before starting the car and driving to the nearest hospital. Edward tried yelling out to anyone, but his body had given up. His voice was gone, and soon Ed gave away to the darkness.

* * *

"Brother..." It was Al's voice. But he seemed so far away.

"Al...? Where are you?" Ed twisted around, but all he saw was blackness. Was this a dream? No, he feel something... Something was brushing against him. It was furry and warm. A dog? Edward gasped when a light suddenly appeared, and it took him a long moment to realize that he just opened his eyes.

"Brother? Are you feeling better now?" Ed saw Al leaning over him and Roy just behind. "Are you in pain?"

Ed inhaled and was rewarded with a spasm of coughs. Al gasped and placed a glass of water at Ed's lips. Ed breathed in air, trying to stop the sickness. Eventually they went away, and Edward gulped down the refreshing liquid.

By now, Roy had positioned himself by Ed's bed, eyeing the state alchemist wearily. Ed's wounds were pretty severe, and he had been in the ER for some time. AL had stayed in the hospital last night when he found out what had happened to Ed. The doctors weren't sure if Ed could survive, but Roy knew him better. Ed was a survivor.

When Ed seemed calm enough, Roy made his voice as gentle as can be, "Do you remember anything from last night?"

Ed shot Roy a glace, but Roy couldn't tell if it was an angry one or a confused one. Maybe it was a mixture of both. Ed released a quiet sigh and turned his head away from Roy. Ed hated how Roy was always so quick to the point. But the blonde alchemist knew that Roy wouldn't leave until he got an answer, so Ed wheezed out a reply, "Leave me alone Mustang."

Roy curled up a fist. He cared about Ed, but he needed the information so he could get a suspect. Library just don't explode by themselves. And the nurses did say that Ed was dropped off by a strange man.

Al pulled at Roy's shirt. "Sir, I think it's best to leave Brother alone right now. It might be hard for him to talk about last night."

"But..." Roy sighed. Al was right. He never liked talk about the Isbal war, and that was many years ago. Roy knew that he was pushing Ed, but he was worried. The teen had been acting so strange lately, and this could be connected. A few minutes later a doctor came in. Regrettably, Roy and Al had to leave the room so doctor could examine Ed for any wounds they might have missed. Roy heard Ed mutter something, but he didn't catch any words. _Why do you always keep everything to yourself?_

* * *

**Author's Notes: I'd say that's pretty good for a first-timer, no? I don't care what you people think either, I like it. xD **

**Sorry if anyone seemed OOC though... I think there are minor ones if there are any...**


	2. Chapter 2: Hospital Adventure

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, but I can dream can't I?**

**Something tells me Al fans will love this chapter... **

* * *

Al watched Ed day in and day out. He was healing-that was good, but he was also talking in his sleep. It was normal for Ed to do so, so at first Al disregarded Ed's mutterings. But soon, Al learned that was the same conversation over and over. Well, half a conversation anyway.

Ed would always start out twisting around under his covers. Then, he'd stop for a few minutes, like he was listening to someone. Then he always say these same things in order.

"Stop it!"

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I'll never call you my father! You don't deserve to be!"

Then Ed would stop suddenly like someone was holding him down. Al became worried, even though he could only hear half the conversation, hearing the word 'Father' definitely meant trouble. Al wasn't sure if he should wake up Ed or not, but he was already speaking again.

"So, you just can't live with yourself can you? Then why don't you commit suicide?"

_Our father committing suicide? _Al definitely was confused now.

Ed continued.

"I'll never do what you say! I can do whatever the hell I want!"

"Punish? You can't punish me you bastard!"

Then Ed stopped and started thrashing against the bed like he was trying to protect himself. Al made sure he didn't fall off the bed. He knew Ed didn't need any more injuries. Suddenly, his brother's thrashing stopped and he started to softly cry.

"No! Don't kill her! I'll do anything!"

Al gasped. Who was he talking about? Unexpectedly, Edward's eyes fluttered open and he was screaming "No!"

"Brother, what's wrong?!" Al tried holding his brother down to calm him. "What happened?"

There was a long moment of struggling before Ed looked at Al like he just noticed he was there. The blond rubbed his tears away and, against Al's resistance, tried to stand up.

Al attempted to stop him. "Wait, Brother. You are in no condition to get up! You still need to stay here for a few days."

"Winry." Ed muttered. "She's in danger… Need to stop him." Then the teen fell into Al's arms, unable to stand.

"Him? Who?" Al was becoming more confused by the second.

"Winry…" Al saw Ed was losing his consciousness.

"But Brother, she's all the way in Resembool! She's safe!" At least, Al hoped he was correct. By now, the blonde alchemist was completely sound asleep. Al sighed, and gently placed his older brother on the hospital bed. After a minute or two of pacing, Al walked out of the room to call Winry.

* * *

"I'm sorry Al." It was Pinako's voice on the Resembool line, "But Winry left for Central as soon as she heard of Ed's condition."

"But why?" Al knew Winry would come if Ed's automail was broken, but all of Ed's limbs were real now. He heard Pinako laugh through the phone.

"I'm sure you know how much Winry adores Edward. Just let her enjoy her stay."

"Oh, okay." Al almost hung up when he heard Pinako again.

"Why did you call anyway, Al? It's late to call about Ed."

"Oh." Al paused. Should he tell her about Ed's latest dream? Al decided not. It might not even come true. "It was nothing really. I guess I'm a little lonely that's all."

Pinako laughed, "All right. Good-bye, Al."

"Good-bye." The same instant Al hung up the phone, Ed screamed from his room.

"Brother!" Al ran as fast as he could in a hospital. When he opened the door, Al saw Edward sprawled out on the ground.

Al gasped, "Brother!" He ran over and lifted Ed's head from the ground. His eyes were closed. Perhaps Ed just had a bad dream and fell on the floor. Still, Al wearily looked around the room for anything suspicious. He saw that the window was open. _But I distinctly remember that being closed…_

Al walked over the window. It wasn't open. The glass was gone! It was then that Al noticed the glass pieces all over the ground.

"What the…?" Al stuck his head out the window. They were ten stories up. How could anyone enter through the window? Al saw no signs of alchemy either. But he saw a pool of blood on the ground. Was that the crimial's blood or…

Al ran back to Edward and flipped him over to check for any blood. Al sighed, not a scratch on the blonde. His brother might've just screamed when he saw who it was and they fled. Finally, doctors and nurses arrived. _Takes them long enough to help a screaming patient._ But Al kept the thought to himself. It wasn't the doctors he should by angry to. It was the person who tried to attack Ed.

"What happened here?" One of the nurses asked Al. Alphonse told her how he heard Ed scream, so he ran back here to find him like this and the window busted open. The nurses nodded and checked over Ed. Al heard that Edward was muttering to himself again, but at least he wasn't hurt.

One of the doctors went to call the police. Al gulped. The hospital was the weirdest place to have a crime scene. Still, he didn't want Ed to be alone, so Al sat on the foot of bed and waited for the police to arrive.

* * *

The investigation was short. The police just spoke the obvious: Someone broke in and Ed became scared and passed out. Al wasn't sure about the last part, but the police were the 'experts' around here. The patents in room near Ed's were becoming anxious, so the officials had to leave anyway. Al was glad they were gone. All the noise was making Edward twist around in his sleep. It was now sunset and Al knew he should be getting back to the house that he and his brother bought a few blocks down. After they got their bodies back, Ed thought they needed a home in Central incase he was needed at HQ. It was a nice house, and Ed's salary paid for it.

As Al left the hospital, he heard some people in a large crowd saying some weird stuff. When he got closer, he heard every word.

"Did you hear about the train wreck?"

"How many people were killed?"

"My wife is gone now…"

"How did it crash?"

"It was the one coming out of Resembool wasn't it?"

Al gasped and ran the rest of the way home. He didn't want to hear anymore. If Winry survived, she should at their house by now. Al desperately hoped that Winry wasn't riding that train.

When he reached his house, no lights were on. That was a bad sign. _Maybe Winry took a late train… Yeah, that's it._

He couldn't fully reassure himself though. He thought about going to train station and asking if anyone like Winry was on it. But the train station was the other side of the city. Al was too tired from today's events to walk all the way there so he slouched down on the couch and fell into a troubled sleep.

* * *

**I hope you all like it. This actually turned out way different than I thought it was going to be... Oh well.**

**Poor Roy. His spotlight was taken away by Al. I think I'll add hi in the next chapter so he doesn't burn my fingers off...**


	3. Chapter 3: The Dream

**Disclaimer: It is quite possible that I do not own FMA. There is like a billon fans and a handful of FMA creators. What are the odds?**

**This chapter is Ed's dream that was going on in chapter two. Enjoy.**

* * *

Ed looked around despairingly. He didn't want to be here. Not in this place. 

"Do you know where you are, Edward?" A voice rang out, making Ed shiver.

The blonde alchemist didn't reply. Instead, he backed away from the voice. Ed knew who it was a second before he entered. It was his father, Hohenheim.

"This is where you transmuted Trisha, is it not?" The man looked down at the floor. "Yes… I can see where you drew the circle. I didn't think you had the skill to do something this advanced… Making a Homunculus…" Hohenheim paused and looked up at his son. "Is there a reason why you are being so quiet?"

Edward shook his head. He didn't want to speak to his father. "Stop it!"

His father stood up. "What? Am I hurting a nerve now?"

Edward ran for the door, he wanted to leave immediately, but the door disappeared just as his hand reached it.

"You can't escape that easily, my son."

Edward twisted and growled at his father-irritated that his only escape route evaporated. Hohenheim walked over to the table piled on with books. "Hmm… You read my book?"

"What do you think you are doing?" Edward pushed his father away.

"I have the right to go though the books too you know. I used to own them. Besides, I think you need to learn some respect. I'm your father after all."

"I'll never call you my father! You don't deserve to be!"

Hohenheim sighed. "If that is what you believe, but you know you can't deny the fact that we have the same blood Edward."

Edward gritted his teeth and threw a fist at the man, but Ed was suddenly thrown to the ground by someone else. Edward gagged as finger circled his throat.

"You're always aggressive as can be."

The teen choked on his spit when he heard the voice; it belonged to the man that nearly killed him before! Instead of letting him have control, Edward pulled with all his might against the man but it was no use. He felt energy being drained from his veins.

Hohenheim stayed put; watching his son fight an unbeatable battle against the other person. As the man tighted his grip on Ed's throat Hohenheim signaled him to stop. The man did, but he kept his arms on the blonde so he couldn't get away.

"Edward," Hohenheim said, "I'd be sad if you were to die in the hospital. Trisha died in the vicinity of doctors as well." Hohenheim looked at the floor-depressed.

Edward managed to squeeze out some words. "So, you just can't live with yourself can you? Then why don't you commit suicide?" The teen was cut off by the man's strong hands.

Hohenheim sighed. "If you are talking about Trisha and how I poisoned her, than I want you to know that that was an accident. And I can't commit suicide. Then you boys would be without any parents."

Edward opened his mouth to speak, but the man holding him down didn't let him. He covered Ed's month with a big, dirty palm.

Then the man spoke to Hohenheim, "We should punish him for speaking out of turn, right? Let's not forget that he hurt your feelings too…" The man trailed off and peered into Ed's eyes. "You've been quite a disobedient boy lately. We'll have to fix that."

Edward tore away from the hand. "I'll never do what you say! I can do whatever the hell I want!"

Edward bit in the man's arm, tasting dirt and blood all at the same time. But the man just grinned and laughed. "It looks like you need to be punished before you learn anything."

The teen pulled away just as a fist was flying at him. "Punish? You can't punish me you bastard!"

"Oh really? Why don't we start by physical punishment?" The man flew himself at the Edward. The teen dodged the man, and clapped his hands together, but… He didn't feel the rush of alchemic energy.

"Oh? Did I forget to mention that you can't use alchemy here?" The man chuckled, and then pulled a sword off of the wall hinges. Edward crouched down to avoid the sword but he felt his father grab his legs. Before Edward knew what had happened, the blade went straight through his right shoulder blade. Ed then felt tears well up into his eyes.

The man grinned, "Now that I have you under control I can decide on a more suitable punishment." He looked at Hohenheim.

Hohenheim nodded and hesitantly said, "Start with just one."

The man bobbed his head. "Yes… Hmm…" He placed his hand on Edward's forehead and closed his eyes. Edward felt a jolt of pain and saw a vision of Winry.

"Ah…" The man took his hand away. "I think I'll start by killing that young girl."

"No!" Edward struggled against the sword holding him down, "Don't kill her! I'll do anything!"

The man's smile disappeared as he pulled the sword slowly out of Edward. "Too late. You won't learn anything without discipline." Edward gasped when the man, Hohenheim and the room faded away into darkness.

Edward panicked. "No!" But he was too late. They were gone.

* * *

**Like it? Hate it? Tell me in a review. D**

**Personally, I have many dreams like this...**


	4. Chapter 4: Botulf

**Disclaimer: I only own Mr. Reward, k?**

**Sorry if anybody seems OOC...**

* * *

Edward woke up with a start. He sighed. He was at the hospital. But it was night, and Al wasn't here. And it seemed quite drafty. Edward yawned, and stretched out his legs.

"Hello, Edward."

The sudden voice made the blonde yelp and pull the covers protectively around him. It was that damned man again.

"Leave me alone you bastard!" Edward snapped.

He heard the man whistle softy and then in a monotone kind of voice, replied, "No. I came to tell you my name."

Edward sat up and glared at the man. The teen didn't care what his name was; he cared about why this bastard couldn't give him a second's worth of peace.

"It's Botulf," The man smiled when Edward gave him a confused look, "It means 'Reward Wolf' and if you are good, I'll give you plenty of rewards." The man pulled off the robe he was wearing on his head and showed Ed his bright, blue eyes and long, black hair.

"What are you? Hohenheim's slave?"

Botulf laughed, "No. I'm more like an old friend."

Edward turned his head away from Botulf, "You said that we've met before… Where?"

Botulf thought for a moment before replying, "I think the first time was at your birth. I remember Hohenheim being proud of finally having a son. Even though he had one 400 years ago..."

Edward gasped, "Wait. Don't tell me that you used the Philosopher's Stone to switch bodies as well?"

Botulf shook his head. "I just heard stories from him. Nothing else." He paused. "I'm actually here without his consent. Hohenheim has been acting strange lately."

Ed snorted, "No kidding. He is gone for ten years, and suddenly he's _everywhere._ And now he has brought you to the party as well."

Botulf sighed, "You don't understand. I only killed that girl because I wanted Hohenheim to be happy."

The teen turned so quickly that he lost his balance and fell off the bed. "You bastard! You never told me what I did wrong and you still killed her."

Botulf shrugged, "Her death was painless."

"That doesn't make a difference!" Edward tried standing up on his wobbly legs but he fell back to the ground.

"I'm trying to help you Ed. I don't know why your father is acting so strange." Botulf made a faint sigh.

"Then why don't you just leave the bastard?"

Botulf clicked his tongue. "We have the same relationship as you do with that Roy person. You like each other, but you don't let other people know it."

Edward gritted his teeth. "And how is it that you know so much about me?"

Botulf went back to a monotone voice, "Because when I enter your dreams, I also see your memories." Botulf paused to laugh, "Alchemy is pretty nice. But most people only know of its physical characteristics: the ability to change an object to another. But your father learned some of its mental characteristics: Entering a person's dream and seeing their memories… I can only enter dreams if your father is already there though."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Edward had climbed back into his bed by the time Botulf had finished speaking.

"Because… I need you to help Hohenheim. I think Dante is forcing your father to do some crazy things."

"But-Dante's dead!"

"Are you sure?" Botulf asked.

"Well I…" Edward really wasn't sure. Wrath said she was, but was Wrath that reliable?

Suddenly, a pain jolted through Edward's head. He screamed and flailed his arms. The teen sensed Botulf run up beside him.

"Relax, Ed. Don't fight it." The blonde barely heard him. He tried relaxing, but that caused more pain.

"I… Can't…" Edward felt Botulf place his hand on his forehead and just as suddenly as it had came, the pain was gone. Edward released a thankful sigh fell back against the pillow. Botulf watched the teen lay there for a few minutes before getting up to leave.

"… Wait…" Botulf turned back and saw that Ed's golden eyes were opened. "… Winry… Is she… Really… Gone?"

Botulf made a slow nod, and then left the room through the door before the teen could say anything more.

* * *

"I told you, I don't remember!" The police had returned to ask Ed about the broken window. The young alchemist had told them many times that he was sound asleep when it happened, but they said that that didn't make any sense.

"You screamed. Why?" The police with a notepad asked.

"Maybe I had a bad dream and it happened to be at the same time someone bashed open the window." Edward said through gritted teeth.

"But why were you on the ground?"

"Maybe because I felt like it!" The blonde alchemist was losing his patience and was thinking about transmuting the men into bricks. Bricks never asked so many questions.

The men sighed. They finally realized that they were getting no where with Ed. Eventually they left; leaving the teen with blissful silence.

But it was about noon when Edward remembered what was missing: Al hadn't shown up yet today! Ed wanted to go home and leave this stupid place behind. He pictured what would happen if he tried to leave. If he could manage to walk all the way to the main doors, those crazy doctors would drag him back here before Ed could explain anything. _Damnit… Where are you, Al?_

* * *

Al was still at home. He hadn't slept a wink without an image of Winry's death clawing at his mind. So he stayed awake. He didn't know even what time it was. Midnight? 5 AM? 7 PM? Al looked at the clock. It said that it was noon.

"Why should I trust you anyway?" Al asked the clock, "All you do is sit there and move your stupid hands."

Normally, Al wouldn't be in such a grouchy mood, but it is interesting what can happen to a person when they don't get their rest. In fact, Al had forgotten that his brother was at the hospital. Instead, Al yelled at the stove for burning his arm.

"If you do that again, I swear I will beat you with pots and pans!"

Meanwhile, Roy was walking up the pathway to the same house. He rang the doorbell and heard glass breaking and a certain alchemist swearing. Roy stood there, flabbergasted** (1)**. _Is Al turning into Fullmetal when no one's looking?_

When the door opened, Roy saw that Al hadn't even groomed himself today. "Is something wrong, Alphonse?"

"Nothing's wrong." He yawned, "Just tired."

"Well… Shouldn't you be at the hospital with Ed?"

"Ed?..." Al paused like he just considered it. Then he shook himself wildly, "Gah! I forgot!" He then darted to one of the bedrooms with Roy chasing after him. Al threw clothes around, trying to find something to wear.

"Al, calm down. I'm sure he's fine. I was just curious." Roy placed his hand on Al's right shoulder. Al was muttering almost mute words.

"But sir, Ed might be wondering where I am. He might be worried…" Al gazed up into Roy's dark eyes. "Why are you here anyway? I don't even remember giving you our address."

Roy sighed. "Ed gave it to me a month ago, but that's not important right now." Roy paused for a long time, shifting from foot to foot before continuing, "Did you heard about the train wreck yesterday?"

Al stiffened.

"There were 47 deaths and 15 major injury cases. And… One of the deaths…" Roy found it difficult to find the right words, "One of them was… Winry Rockbell."

Al couldn't stop himself. He fell to his knees and let the tears roll down his face. He didn't want to hear that his brother's prediction was correct. But it was.

Roy wanted to help Al cope with the news of his friend's sudden death, but he couldn't find the right words. So he stood there helplessly.

"Did you tell… Pinako yet?" Al said the words through his sobs.

"Her Grandmother? No. Not yet. But… When are you going to tell Fullmetal about this?"

_I bet Brother already knows, _Al thought hopelessly. Still, he supplied an answer, "I don't know. Maybe tomorrow… Perhaps…"

Roy sighed. "Well, my task is done. Do you mind if I join you on your trip to the hospital?"

Al shook his head, and brushed off his tears.

* * *

"Damn… it…" It was 12:30 and the nurse was bringing in today's lunch. She looked at Edward for a moment and checked his temperature. Apparently, he was fine for she left as soon as she checked.

"It must really suck for people who stay in hospitals for months. They never give you any real food." He took a bite out of a Nutrition bar and spat it back out.

"Yuck! It tastes like dry skin!" He threw the bar at the wall as punishment for being disgusting. Then he looked at his other choices: A plate full brown slime that looked like Roy's cooking and a glass of milk. Edward glared at them with all of his hatred.

"Damn you food. Go feed someone else!"

* * *

**(1) That's such a fun word. Flabbergasted...**

**I threw in that last part just because I think this chapter was to serious. I needed to lighten things up.**


	5. Chapter 5: Normal, but not

**I'm listening to the theme song to Ginga Densetsu WEED on my iPod! It is so addicting! So… Action-y too. **

**Also, there is RoyEd fluff in this chapter. It's my first time doing something like it, so please review and tell me how I did, k?**

**Disclaimer: I can't place a disclaimer on something I own, right? Oh wait, that didn't make sense…**

* * *

"Al! What took you so long! You had me waiting for hours in this god-forsaken place!" A certain teenage alchemist was in a certain irritated mood. And it didn't help that a certain Colonel was in the same room.

"I'm sorry, Brother…" Al dropped his gaze away from his angry older brother.

Edward paused. "What's wrong Al? You sound… Exhausted…" Ed felt guilty. _Damnit! Why did I have to yell at him like that! _Edward saw Al stir uncomfortably, and then turn and ran for the door.

"Wait, Al! I'm sorry for yelling at you!"

Edward was too late though. Al slammed the door behind him, leaving Ed and Roy alone in the room. Edward looked away from the door. When he gazed at the wall, he saw Winry's happy face. _Wait, don't tell me… ! _

"Winry's dead Fullmetal." Edward heard Roy sigh regrettably.

"Bastard!" Edward turned to the man with rage, "Do you _ever _care for anyone other than yourself?! Al can't handle news like that!"

The black-haired man remained silent, staring into the blonde's eyes. Edward gritted his teeth and flipped over, away from his gaze.

"I hate you." Ed could hear his voice breaking up like he was going to cry. _Damnit! I still can't get over the news of Winry's… Winry's… _He pushed the thought away. _Damn you Botulf! Next time I see you, you'll wish that you have never been born!_

Roy saw the boy jittering uncontrollably. "… Fullme- Uh… Ed…"

"Leave me alone you ungrateful bastard!"

Silence followed Ed's lastest outburst. Roy sighed. _Maybe Ed's right. Hughes only died five months ago. I shouldn't take my isolation attitude out on him…_

Roy shifted his eyes toward the floor, "… I'm sorry…" Ed didn't respond. Roy almost tried again, but heard the young alchemist sobbing quietly. So instead, Roy sat beside the blonde and stroked his hair. _His hair is so soft._ The teen didn't seem to acknowledge his touch, so Roy continued until the boy finally fell into a light, peaceful sleep.

--

It was about fifteen minutes before Al returned. He had been sitting in the hallway listening to the Alchemists' conversation in the room. He figured that he was acting childish, making Roy do the task of passing on the news of Winry's death for him. So Al headed back inside when he thought that Ed had quieted down. But when he opened the door, Al saw something he didn't expect. When Al saw the Roy crouched over his brother he almost gasped out loud. But, they looked so serene together that Al just stood there and watched as Ed mumbled and Roy smiled.

Eventually, Roy removed his hand and Edward whined in response. Roy made a soft snicker, but instantly put on a serious face when he saw Al at the doorway.

"Uh… I wanted to make him feel better…"

Al grinned, "Good job." Al saw the man blush. But Roy quickly recovered himself.

"Al, on the way here I think I heard you say something about a dream Fullmetal had, correct?"

Al gulped loudly, "You heard that?"

Roy shrugged, "You need to learn to talk to yourself in your head."

"Oh… I'll remember that." Al gave a weak laugh.

"So…? Tell me about this dream of his." Roy spoke softly; Al knew it wasn't an order, but a pleading. Managing a small smile Al told the Flame Alchemist about Ed's dream with as much detail as he could remember.

After a few minutes of silent thinking, Edward suddenly jumped up and yelled in his sleep: "No! Evil milk! Go away!" The blonde then fell back into his pillow and snored loudly. The two other alchemists sweatdropped at Ed's… Silly remark.

Roy pointed at the blonde teen, "Was it like that?"

Al laughed, "It was as clear as that but I think Brother's just having a regular dream… Er… Nightmare…"

Roy nodded, but still gazed at Edward with a pretty bamboozled** (1)** face.

* * *

The next day, Al went to the hospital early in the morning. He didn't want Ed to be alone again like yesterday. Last night, Roy had left after Al had finished telling him about Ed's dream. Al wondered if the black-haired man even believed him. _Then again… It is pretty hard to believe…_

When Al reached Ed's room, he heard a dog bark and Ed laughing from the inside. _That's odd…_ When Al opened his door, he saw Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang and little Black Hayate giving Ed many licks on the face.

"Hello, Alphonse." Rize greeted him warmly.

"Hello, Riza. What are you doing here so early?" Al asked while glancing at his brother, who was playing with Black Hayate by throwing a bone across the room.

"Well, Roy was worried something might happen to Ed overnight. He said it was a _gut feeling _but I wasn't so sure. But I followed Roy so he wouldn't spend all day here."

Said man turned his face at the Riza, "I'll get those papers done! Eventually…" The man kept gazing at the women's gun in its holster.

Al laughed at Roy's nervous face. He had never seen the man like this before.

Then Al heard Ed chuckle from his bed, "Can't even sign a few papers, Mustang? How pitiful." Ed twisted his hand with the bone to tease Black Hayate who had been whining when Ed had stopped throwing it.

"You seem in a better mood today Brother." Al smiled. He was glad that Edward had been acting normal lately.

"That's because the doctors said I could leave at noon today." Ed made a wide grin and threw bone hard, but he chucked it through the window. "… Oops…"

Al sighed, "Brother…"

Roy snickered while Riza held down a struggling Black Hayate. The dog was willing to jump out the window to retrieve the bone. **(2) **The dog barked with frustration.

Al watched as Edward was swearing involuntary, "Shit… The doctors are mad because this was broken already… Damn window…"

Al walked up to his brother, "Why are you allowed to leave? A few days ago you couldn't even walk!"

The older teen turned around and laughed, "You know how you came late yesterday? Well, I was so bored that I forced myself to walk. You should've seen the looks on the nurses' faces when I came down and demanded real food!"

"You are pretty lucky to just have muscle damage **(3)** though, Brother."

The blonde shrugged, "Yeah… I thought for sure that I had bone damage or that my liver was destroyed."

"… Liver? You say the strangest things sometimes Brother."

"What! Livers are important!"

The statement made Al laugh and Edward folded his arms in annoyance, but was smiling too.

* * *

The next few days, Ed happily enjoyed being out of the hospital. He spent as much time as he could with Al, both of them trying to keep Winry's death off their mind. But, it was unavoidable when Pinako called.

"Hello, Auntie..." Ed was talking on the phone with Al hovering behind him, "Yes... No, I didn't... I know... I understand, Bye."

Edward hung up the phone and sighed. Then he shook his head furiously, "Damnit... I hate funerals, but I guess we have no choice..."

Al nodded, "We were her best friends after all. It would be rude not to go."

Edward dipped his head, "Still... Hard to beileve she's... She's... Not here..."

Al glaced worridly at his brother. Was Ed feeling so guilty that he couldn't even say 'dead'? That was bad. _Maybe I should tell Brother that I evesdropped on his dream... Then he wouldn't have to keep the blame to himself..._ Al thoughts were interrupted when someone rang the doorbell. Edward didn't move, so Al headed for the door. When he opened it, he got quite a surprise. Even though he'd only seen old pictures, Al knew exactly who this person was:

"Father... !"

* * *

**(1) Heehee… Another fun word.**

**(2) Hmm… Black Hayate flying out a window. That'd be a new one…**

**(3) I didn't want to spend my whole fic in the hospital… I'm lazy.**

**Now I'm listening to the opening of Wolf's Rain. Come to think of it… Both of the animes are similar… Both are about four-legged animals with bloody fights and searches for a kind of Paradise. Woohoo! I love and recommend them both! **

**Oh, and I hoped you guys liked this chappy. I know-I'm evil for creating such a cliffhanger. Muhahahaha! -cough-**

**R&R please!**


	6. Chapter 6: Moonlight is Golden

**'Ello! Now you will all know the reason why Mr. I-can-enter-my-sons-dreams is being OOC. It's a stupid reason too.**

**Disclaimer: I wonder... Do I own this anime? -silence- I guess not.**

* * *

Ed looked toward the doorway to see Al moving to the side and his father-that _bastard_- walking in. Ed nearly exploded with rage; Hohenheim just waltzed into their home like they invited him to a tea party. And Al didn't stop him! Ed looked at his younger brother and saw confusion on his face. _Oh yeah… Al never had my dreams…_

"Dad…? Why are you here?" Al asked while shifting his gaze to his brother and his father.

Hohenheim shrugged, "Why? I just came by to say hello." He turned toward Ed and smiled, and it sent a chill up the teen's spine. Ed had seen that smile before and he knew it wasn't from any dream.

When Hohenheim took a step towards Ed, Al ran in front of him.

"Uh… Dad… Would you like something to eat? Or we can… Uh…"

Hohenheim nodded, "That sounds nice. I've been hungry for the past hour or so."

Al grinned, "Great!" He ran toward the kitchen but stopped midway, "Uh… What would you like to eat?"

Hohenheim shrugged, "Anything you got."

Al nodded and left for his task. At first, Ed couldn't tell why Al was so happy, but then it hit him: Al hadn't seen his father since he was a baby. _He is probably so overjoyed to finally have met him now… _Edward shook his head. _Damnit! Why did he come here? The bastard doesn't know when to-_

Ed's thoughts and heart stopped when he felt his father's lip on his own. Hohenheim tried pushing his tongue into Ed's mouth, but the teen kept his teeth closed. Frustrated, Hohenheim gripped Ed's neck and squeezed, making his mouth open just enough for the tongue to go though. When the man explored enough, he released the kiss, and Edward punched him in the face with an enraged fist.

"What the fuck! Get the hell away from me!"

The man fell to the floor. He placed his hand on his forehead and shook himself. "I was just trying to have a little fun…"

Edward backed up against the wall. This was not like his father at all. Then again, last time he saw his father he was about three or four. _This bastard can't be my father. Even he wouldn't dare do something like that. _Then Ed saw it. It was just for a second, but he was sure. Edward saw the maniacal grin of the Homunculus Envy.

Edward snapped, "What the hell do you think you are doing Envy?!"

His "father" laughed, "It's fun to mess with you." Then Envy turned into Botulf, "Guess who I am now."

Edward gritted his teeth, "You were Botulf the whole time!"

"No. You've got it all wrong." The Homunculus sneered, "Botulf is a real… Well, I guess you can call him a chimera freak, but he's real. I just took Hohenheim's place and the idiot doesn't know the difference." Envy laughed, "Come to think of it, you didn't know the difference either. You're both brainless."

Edward launched himself angrily at Envy, but the Homunculus sidestepped out of the way and grabbed Ed by his neck and pushed him to ground. Edward yelled in frustration, but his screams were muffled when Envy kissed him again. This time, the teen wasn't in so much shock and bit the Homunculus's tongue when it entered. He was rewarded with a fist into his cheek.

"You just don't when to quit, do you?" The Homunculus growled, and entered Edward's mouth again. The blonde struggled, but Envy held him down until he thought that Ed had had enough. The Homunculus laughed again and ran out the door, pleased with what he'd accomplished, leaving Ed on the floor to think about what had just happened.

--

When Al came back into the room a few minutes later, both Ed and his father was gone.

"Brother…? Dad…?"

He searched frantically around the house, but he could find no one. He searched the backyard and the roof, still no sign of anyone. Al went back inside and laid on the kitchen counter. The counter was cool to his sweaty, hot skin and it made him sigh. He believed it was his fault that they were gone and the stress was killing him. _I knew Ed had those dreams and I still left him alone… Something terrible must've happened, and I was too excited to prevent it…_

* * *

The next few days, Al and all of Ed's friends from the military searched all over Central for the missing Alchemist. They searched all the libraries and hospitals and even a few restaurants. After awhile, their hope of finding Ed diminished. Al didn't give up though; he investigated the train stations and asked if anyone by the name of 'Edward Elric' had been on a train lately. The people said "no" and Al was relieved. That meant that Ed was most likely still in the city. He continued his seeking with new determination.

--

After a few more hours of mindless hunting, Al decided to go to the city's main park. It was one place they didn't look, and Al's optimism rose. _Maybe Brother needed some time alone and is sitting by the lake! _The lake in the park wasn't very big, but Ed had gone there on a few occasions when he was stuck while trying to find clues to the Philosopher's Stone. Al ran down the path and sure enough, lying in front of the lake lazily was Ed.

"Brother!" Al voice made the older teen rapidly sit up and stare at him questionably.

"Al…? What are you doing here?" Edward winced when a picture of Envy as his father shot into his head. _Damnit! Go away!_

"What am I doing here?! I've been worried sick! You suddenly vanished and you don't tell me anything about where you're going or what happened! Then I find you three days later enjoying the park!"

"Al… I'm sorry…" All Edward wanted was to be alone for a while. _Was I gone that long?_

When Ed looked into Al's eyes, he seemed to have lost most of his anger, but worry was still in his expression. Suddenly, the thought of Al being Envy came into his mind. Edward violently shook his head. Envy had turned all he knew into questions. Who was real and who was not? Edward literally screamed with disturbance.

Al quickly came to his side, "Brother! What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Edward continued screaming until the mental image faded away. After he quieted down, Edward gave a weak smile, "No… Just … Scary thoughts came to mind…" Edward gave a frail laugh, leaving Al more concerned then he used to be.

"Brother, if something's bothering you you can tell me. I promise I'll keep it a secret." Then Al remembered his conversation with Roy and sighed. _I guess I already broke the secret… _Edward sighed softly and gave Al a faraway look like was remembering something. Al thought for a moment that Ed might tell him about his dream. But he didn't.

"C'mon Al, you know me. I've got nothing to hide."

Al sighed regrettably, and his voices in his head were fighting back and forth for control: _Tell him you eavesdropped on him. It'll make your brother feel better; No! Keep it a secret! He'll hate you if you tell. _Al didn't know what to do, but he finally decided that his first one was right; He needed to tell his brother.

"Brother… I, uh… I know about your… Dreams…" Al gazed at his brother who had been watching the lake only moments before. Now he had all his shocked attention on Al.

"I heard you… Talking in your sleep… To someone…" Al paused to swallow, "Was it our father?"

Edward shook his head, "… No… Our father would never do the stuff he did in my dreams."

Al sighed; he thought for sure that Ed would at least be a little angry about Al eavesdropping. But he remembered another part of Ed's dream.

"Brother… Did you know that Winry would-"

"Yes Al… I did…" The older teen hugged his legs. "It was a punishment, but I don't know what I did wrong…" Ed trailed off and placed his head between his legs. Al sat down beside his brother and placed his hand on Ed's trembling shoulder. Then they sat like that for a long time. Neither of them knew how long, but the sun had changed its position and was heading down toward the earth into sunset.

* * *

The brothers decided to spend the clear night at the lake. It was beautiful to say the least. The full moon transmitted its silver glow on the lake, making it glow luminously. Al knew instantly why Ed was this side of the lake: There were no lights to keep you awake and no one ever came here so the grass was soft and the place was always in a peaceful silence. The waves started making Al drift into sleep when he was awoken by Ed' calm voice.

"There are more stars out tonight."

Al glanced up. Ed was right. Usually the light pollution from the city made quite a few stars disappear, but tonight they all seemed to be out. Al saw a shooting star and watched it disappear into the night. Then he turned toward Ed, who had his eyelids half-closed.

"Summer nights are stunning aren't they?"

Ed nodded in response. Then his eyes opened farther, and he sat up and pointed above the lake.

"Al! Look!" Ed pointed at a flame that was heading toward the water. Al saw it too, and it could only mean one thing: A meteor was going to land right in front of them! Edward stood up and ran to the bank of the lake, eager to get a close observation. Al ran up beside him, also wanting to see the action. The meteor came closer and it seemed to get smaller and smaller by the second until it finally landed right in front of Ed in the water.

Edward gazed down into the water curiously, and then cautiously moved his hands toward the space rock. When he had a grip on it, he suddenly pulled his hands away.

"Ow! That thing's still burning!"

Al laughed at Ed's remark, "Maybe we should wait a little bit before picking it up?"

Ed nodded, "Good idea… That was so cool, wasn't it Al? I mean, that rock just came flying out of nowhere!"

Al grinned, "Yeah. We were pretty lucky to actually see it fall. Most people only find the rock and give it to scientists."

"Yeah, but I'm not handing _this_ one over!" Edward declared.

Al stared at his brother intriguingly. "Why not?"

Edward beamed, "Because we saw it fall, Al. It should be a keepsake. We can look at it for many years and remember how peaceful tonight was."

"Oh… That's a good point…"

* * *

A few hours later, around midnight, Al picked up the rock from lake. It was about the size of baseball, but it was also very light and sparkly. Al loved the feel of it. He walked back to his sleeping brother. After Al sat down, he placed the rock on the outside of him and curled up in a ball. But before he could doze off, Al felt something brush against his neck. He twisted around to see Ed's head rubbing Al's shoulder. Al gave a soft giggle and stroked his hand on Ed's head like he saw Roy doing just a few days ago. Ed must've enjoyed it since he mumbled something and nuzzled up closer to his brother.

After a few minutes or so of caressing Edward, Al positioned himself more comfortably on the ground and, with the sound of the waves and Ed's light mutterings, drifted off to dreamland.

* * *

When Ed awoke early in the morning, almost an hour before dawn, he found himself huddled quite closely to Al. Ed scooted back a few inches, but he didn't leave Al's embrace. He remembered that they used to sleep like this when their mother died. They'd both sleep in the same bed and hugged each other, reassuring themselves that it was going to be alright. Ed sighed and was actually glad that Al was with him last night. The first three nights by himself were filled with nightmares of Envy jumping out from a bush and attacking him. Or with Winry asking, "Why didn't you save me?" over and over again. Last night was quite a pleasurable change. Ed nestled back toward Al and welcomed his warmth and softness. Ed knew that he could trust Al, and when he'd wake up, Ed promised himself to tell Al everything.

--

When Ed was close to sleeping again, he saw someone rowing a wooden boat out across the lake. Edward found it odd so early in the morning, so he twisted around to get a better view. As Ed watched, he noticed that the person seemed... Wary. Ed observed the person rowing a few times, standing up and looking around, and then dropping something into the water. **(1)** After they did that a few times, Ed grew insanely interested. As slowly as he could, Edward pulled himself from Al, and followed the boat's path.

--

The boat seemed to be going in a circle and the person inside seemed to be getting more anxious by the minute. Ed smiled at his own secret mission. He couldn't remember the last time he felt the adrenaline of watching someone do something suspicious. Edward clapped his hands in glee, and the noise of them sent the person in the boat toppling over the side.

Edward stood up and watched as the person frantically waved his arms side to side. It was obvious that they couldn't swim. Edward gasped, and raced to the shore. When he reached the water, Ed saw something else fall out the boat. It was reddish-brown and looked very messy. _Meat? _Edward turned his gazed back on the person. They were just about ready to disappear beneath the waves. _What to do… What to do… I can't swim…_ **(2) **Edward paced back and forth on the bank, thinking of some way to help the person.

Just then, a dog came out of nowhere and leaped into the water. Edward watched as the dog bit into the person's arm and dragged him back to shore. Edward saw that the person on the boat was a frail, middle-aged looking man.

"Thank… You…" The man said through his coughs.

Ed shook his head, "Uh… I didn't really help you, but alright…"

The man laughed, "I think it's about time I learned how to swim."

" Yeah. Same goes for me too." Ed agreed.

--

Edward helped the man walk away from the shore by letting him lean on Ed's back. Ed, being so small, found it kind of difficult, but soon they both made it up the hill. The man sat down in the grass and breathed in a great amount of air.

"I'm pretty lucky that wolf came to help me. Such a nice creature."

"'Wolf?'" Ed echoed. He knew it was a four-legged animal, but he didn't think that it was a wild wolf. He assumed it was just some stray dog.

The man nodded, "Yeah. People have been talking about some strange wolf running around the park helping people. Kind of smart isn't he?" The man pointed at the black wolf who had been sitting behind some trees, watching the pair will unblinking, golden eyes.

Ed snorted, "A little too smart for his own good…" Ed also thought that the wolf was Envy, but then he remembered that the Homunculus would never save someone's life. Not a pathetic _human _life most of all. So instead, Ed shifted from his thoughts and turned to the man, "What were you dumping in the water anyway?"

The man stuttered for a moment, "Uh… I run a meat shop and needed to put the leftover remains somewhere…"

"Uh huh…" Ed pondered the man's response. "Why didn't you just throw it in a dumpster? You're polluting the lake you know."

The man bowed his head, "I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't thinking."

The man stood up and stretched his arms and back, "I guess I should be going now." He smiled and offered his hand out to Ed, "Nice meeting you." Ed smiled back and shook the man's hand and watched him walk away.

* * *

When the man was out of sight, Ed headed back toward where Al was still sleeping. Ed decided that is was easier if he just followed the bank, so he hovered near the water. On the way, Ed heard something following him and when he turned around, he saw the black wolf standing behind him innocently. Ed cocked his head at the wolf, and it did the same. Ed grunted and then turned all the way around a waved his arms. The wolf bowed and wagged his tail. Ed didn't want to play with the wolf.

"Go away!" The wolf wagged his tail harder.

Ed tried again, "I said go away!" Ed made a horizontal chop with his hand in air. The wolf took Ed's motion as a sign of play, and jumped on teen. The wolf licked all over the struggling teens face.** (3)**

"Get off me you crazy mutt!" Ed pushed on the wolf's chest, but it was heavily built, and growled. Then the wolf bit Ed's arm, though not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to pull Ed around.

"Gah!" Edward pulled hard against the fangs of the wolf. It hurt like hell, but the wolf finally let go. "Why can't I even fight a wolf..?" Ed noticed that he was panting._ Did I really use that much energy?_

He suddenly realized that the wolf was gone, and the sun had risen. Edward gritted his teeth and silently cursed at the wolf. Slowly, Ed made his way back to where he thought Al was. As he walked, Ed inspected his arm. There were four solid bite marks. They left his arm aching, but Ed knew he would live.

When Ed finally found Al, the brown haired boy looked at the blonde crossly and folded his arms.

"Where were you, Brother?" Al asked, with concern but also a slight touch of anger.

"I was... Saving someone's life and then I got beat up by a wolf." Ed admitted.

Al stared at him curiously, but nodded at the answer. Then Alphonse suddenly had a crestfallen face.

"Huh? What's wrong Al?" Edward asked.

"It's Winry... Looking for you, I forgot to go to her funeral..." Al had tears in his eyes. Ed lowered his gazed, but walked up to Al.

"Hey... We can call Auntie and apologize for not going." Ed proposed. Truthfully, Ed thought it would've been better not to have gone, to have seen Winry's remains being dumped into the earth, but Ed knew how much Al wanted to go. He had wanted to say his final good-bye. Ed hugged his now crying brother, and hoped that somehow, somewhere, Winry was watching and forgave them for not going.

* * *

**(1) Got the boat idea from the original book of Frankenstein. Never read it? Too bad. It's a good book.**

**(2) On the episode 'One is All, All is One' Al said, "That's impossible! I can't swim!" because of his armor and Ed said, "Come to think of it, neither can I." for unknown reasons. (Is it because he had automail or that he just couldn't?) I believe that Edo-kun couldn't really swim to make my fic more suspenseful. Silly Edo. Swimming isn't that hard.**

**(3) Poor Ed. It seems I've grown to love torturing him with random animals... o.o**

**This chapter was a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. Maybe next time I'll keep Envy with Ed for a little longer. (There will be no Yaoi though. Just regular Envy-style torture.) I think this was my longest chapter yet! Yay! (3,399 words!)**


End file.
